When is it necessary to use "de"?
for example
"wo laoshi shi zhongguoren"
or
"wo de laoshi shi zhongguoren"
Both are the same, so I am wondering when it is necessary to use "de" because a lot of times I see "de" not being used when it could/should be. Please help, and can someone lead me to a good official Chinese grammar site?
xie xie
When is "de" necessary?
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abc
Re: When is "de" necessary?
Ruguo bu kending nengbuneng shenglue "de", zuihao buyao shenglue, yinwei bushi suoyou de "de" dou keyi shenglue de.
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SlowSteady
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:53 pm
Re: When is "de" necessary?
James - I'm learning about this myself - it has been my experience that as you learn about 'de', consider the thought you want to express - then, see where you might need the attributive 'de' - possibly multiple times - colloquially, i'm hearing native speakers use it perhaps once, sometimes twice, with the most important items catching the attributive 'de'. I can't readily think off hand of the a multiple use, but here are some singular uses:
Example: If you want, "Wo yao kan kan ni de shu", there's your one needed use - attributive of "ni" is it. You can find much lengthier attributives or modifiers like this: "Zhe shi mamma gei tamen mai de yi ben shu.." In learning, sometimes the 'de' feels secure to attach to everything that seems like it should have one - stepping back for a moment, you often find it is needed once.
What's worse, this is not to be confused with another modifier I'm learning about, also pronounced "de", sometimes "dei" - different character: "Wo kan jian kan de hen hao." "de" as modifier to describe the degree to which I am "kan jian" 'ing.
Your own examples: Yes, you can omit - the context of the speaker and listener allows some familiarity or intimacy and determines if I need to say "Wo laoshi or wo pengyou vs. wo 'de'" - the next step from allowing omission for talking about one's siblings or parents where it is expected you will omit the 'de'.
[%sig%]
Example: If you want, "Wo yao kan kan ni de shu", there's your one needed use - attributive of "ni" is it. You can find much lengthier attributives or modifiers like this: "Zhe shi mamma gei tamen mai de yi ben shu.." In learning, sometimes the 'de' feels secure to attach to everything that seems like it should have one - stepping back for a moment, you often find it is needed once.
What's worse, this is not to be confused with another modifier I'm learning about, also pronounced "de", sometimes "dei" - different character: "Wo kan jian kan de hen hao." "de" as modifier to describe the degree to which I am "kan jian" 'ing.
Your own examples: Yes, you can omit - the context of the speaker and listener allows some familiarity or intimacy and determines if I need to say "Wo laoshi or wo pengyou vs. wo 'de'" - the next step from allowing omission for talking about one's siblings or parents where it is expected you will omit the 'de'.
[%sig%]
-SlowSteady
Using 的， 地，地
的has several different uses, the two main ones are possesives and adjectival markers as explained below. Hope it helps.
的（de) is used to show possesion. For example "This is my book." becomes “这是我的书 zhe shi wo de shu." This possesive form of "de" can be used with all nouns. However, it is often omitted when there is a personal, close relation with the object. "My mother is smart" becomes "我的马很聪明, wo ma hen cong ming." Another example is "My head hurts", " 我头疼，wo tou teng." In both cases the relationship to "mother" and "head" are intimate and obvious so "de" is not used.
的 is also used as an adjectival marker. Placed before the noun and after the adjective, as in the sentence "很大的房子, very big house."
We do not have to use "'de" to modify a noun taking only a single one syllable adjective, ie
"He is a good person" is "ta shi hao ren"
but if we are using a two syllable adjective (except set phrases) or more than one adjective before the noun then we HAVE to use "de".
ie. "She is pretty" is "ta hen piao liang de"
We also have to use "de" when we use adverbs of degree like "hen", "fei chang", etc. ie.
" fei chang hong de hua" and "hen da de fang zi"
The other forms of "de" (得，地) have different meanings and uses and are not to be confused with 的, even though more and more mainlanders are relying on 的 to serve as all forms of the "de".
的（de) is used to show possesion. For example "This is my book." becomes “这是我的书 zhe shi wo de shu." This possesive form of "de" can be used with all nouns. However, it is often omitted when there is a personal, close relation with the object. "My mother is smart" becomes "我的马很聪明, wo ma hen cong ming." Another example is "My head hurts", " 我头疼，wo tou teng." In both cases the relationship to "mother" and "head" are intimate and obvious so "de" is not used.
的 is also used as an adjectival marker. Placed before the noun and after the adjective, as in the sentence "很大的房子, very big house."
We do not have to use "'de" to modify a noun taking only a single one syllable adjective, ie
"He is a good person" is "ta shi hao ren"
but if we are using a two syllable adjective (except set phrases) or more than one adjective before the noun then we HAVE to use "de".
ie. "She is pretty" is "ta hen piao liang de"
We also have to use "de" when we use adverbs of degree like "hen", "fei chang", etc. ie.
" fei chang hong de hua" and "hen da de fang zi"
The other forms of "de" (得，地) have different meanings and uses and are not to be confused with 的, even though more and more mainlanders are relying on 的 to serve as all forms of the "de".
EMW Ｃｕｌｔｕｒａｌ Ｉｍｍersions' Chinese language camps; Where East meets West. www.emeetw.com